FRIDAY: the gluten talk

So Today's Post is about GLUTEN!

There is a lot of hype about going gluten free to "lose weight" and follow the trend. I found an article on food matters that digs into the real reason to stay away from gluten. The article is here: Why refined grains... Below I am going to do a summary of my findings and why I am choosing this route.

Most people consume grain that has been refined, and this is where the problem starts. "A refined grain, or its product, is made by processing a natural, whole grain so that some or most of the nutrients are lost. Almost all grain products have been refined in some way or another."

Refined grains and their food products are substandard foods for several reasons:

1. They are excessively starchy and high in gluten.
2. They are practically devoid of natural fiber.
3. There can be up to approximately 25 different chemicals that are added to refined grains and breads products.
4. Grains are fumigated.
5. Bleaching chemicals are used.
6. Artificial colorings and flavorings are used.
7. They are nutritionally imbalanced.

Grains are made in today's society to be able to have long shelf life. This is not good for our bodies. 

8 Healthy Gluten Free Whole Grain Alternatives

1. Amaranth
2. Buckwheat
3. Corn
4. Millet
5. Oats(*see below)
6. Quinoa
7. Rice
8. Wild Rice

*Oats are inherently gluten-free, but are frequently contaminated with wheat during growing or processing. Several companies (Bob's Red Mill, Cream Hill Estates, GF Harvest (fromerly Gluten Free Oats), Avena Foods (Only Oats), Legacy Valley (Montana Monster Munchies), and Gifts of Nature) currently offer pure, uncontaminated oats.

I hope that helps clear up some confusion for you guys. It makes sense to me know why my stomach is so bothered by these products. There are alternatives (mentioned above) that I am going to try in the future! I really love brown rice and quinoa. I have never tried buckwheat or amaranth. I am going to try to find some gluten free oats to try too because I miss them so much! I think that it can be a smart choice to try to eliminate gluten just because most products today have been so refined. I think it is still important to consume grain products, just in a different form. Try adding some of the 8 gluten free whole grains mentioned above! Let me know what you all think!

Later Taters! (p.s Cardio for me today so if you want to do an at home workout, choose your favorite from my previous posts)